The meaning of “short” in "pulled up short". I’ve checked the definition of “pulling up short,” and I kind of get the idea of the phrase as a whole. http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/pull+up+short But I still want to ask what you think the word “short” means in the phrase. Does it mean that it doesn’t take long to stop? Thanks. [Granma yawned shrilly and opened her eyes. She looked wildly about. “I got to get out, praise Gawd,” she said. “First clump a brush,” said Al. “They’s one up ahead.” “Brush or no brush, I got to git out, I tell ya.” And she began to whine, “I got to git out. I got to git out.” Al speeded up, and when he came to the low brush he pulled up short. Ma threw the door open and half pulled the struggling old lady out beside the road and into the bushes. And Ma held her so Granma would not fall when she squatted.] Grapes of Wrath-